True Cafe Culture at the Newly Opened Couleur Café

With , , and now Couleur Café, the block of Seventh Avenue between 14th and 15th streets is well on its way to becoming the Slope’s culinary capital.

Couleur Café opened shop on Saturday, aiming to bring this strip of South Slope a nice, friendly café that’s as good for whiling away the afternoon as it is for grabbing a gourmet bite.

“The concept is very simple. It’s neighborhood. It’s fresh. But mostly it’s French,” said owner Murat Ozcam.

Ozcam, a Park Slope resident since long before the neighborhood had any cute little cafes at all, runs the Young Players Theater with his wife, Kristen Lynch.

At Couleur Café – that’s color, in French – extra care is taken to make sure that everything is handmade.

Charcuterie is made to order, by a Frenchman in Ridgewood, New Jersey, who took up the craft after moving to the states and finding the charcuterie selection underwhelming. Croissants and other pastries are handmade (with lots of butter) by David Benizeri, who owns Beny's Delice in Clinton Hill.

Pastries are complimented by a sizeable list of simple, but creative sandwiches, salads, quiches and soups – a baguette gets spread with ricotta, dried figs, fresh thyme and a drizzle of honey ($7.95) or topped with tuna, tomato, boiled egg, cucumber, olives and Dijon. For the not-so-hungry there are “les mini sandwiches” and of course, in true Slope style, there’s a kids’ menu for the little ones.

“We serve breakfast, lunch, light dinner,” said Ozcam. “We wanted to listen to the whole neighborhood, and see what they need.”

The space itself is bright and rustic – a big change from the hookah lounge that formerly occupied the space.

“Brooklyn is color,” said Ozcam. “The people. The mix. So I wanted to name my café ‘Color.’ I love it.”